Polyurethane types, synthesis and applications: a review. These findings confirm that mealworms degrade WRPU.Īkindoyo J O, Beg M D H, Ghazali S, Islam M R, Jeyaratnam N, Yuvaraj A R (2016). The microbial community analysis indicated that WRPU exerts a considerable effect on the gut microorganism of mealworms. The possible reason is that WRPU does not supply sufficient nutrients for mealworm growth, and the impurities and odor present in WRPU affect the appetite of the mealworms. The carbon in the mealworm biomass ingesting WRPU decreased. The carbon balance analysis confirmed that carbon in the ingested WRPU released as CO 2 increased from 18.84 % to 29.80 %, suggesting that WRPU was partially mineralized. Thermal gravimetric-differential thermal gravimetry analysis showed that the weight loss temperature of WRPU-based frass was 300 ☌ lower than that of WRPU, indicating that the thermal stability of WRPU deteriorated after being ingested. The urethane groups in WRPU were broken, and benzene rings’ C=C and C-H bonds in the isocyanate disappeared after being ingested by mealworms. The carbon content of WRPU-based frass was lower than that of WRPU, indicating that mealworms utilized WRPU as a carbon source.

It was found that the WRPU debris in frass was scoured, implying that WRPU was ingested and degraded by mealworms. This study presents an in-depth investigation of the degradation of WRPU by mealworms using the micro-morphology, composition, and functional groups of WRPU and the egested frass characteristics. However, knowledge about mealworms degrading WRPU is scarce. Insect larvae like mealworms have been used to biodegrade pristine plastics. Refrigerator insulation replacement results in discarding a large amount of waste refrigerator polyurethane (WRPU).

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